The role of Pentecostalism in human development : a study of Pentecostal churches in Kubwa, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

While the United Nations Development Program ranks Nigeria low on Human development indices of education, health and employment, Nigerian Pentecostal churches ‘promise’ prosperity to members with their Prosperity Gospel. This Gospel finds huge following ostensibly because of the level of poverty especially in the country as congregants fill churches of all shapes and sizes, with the hope of getting the prosperous life the Gospel claims to offer. The study investigates therefore, the role these Pentecostal churches play in either enhancing or further exacerbating the Human development of the people. The study employed the Human development theory by Amartya Sen as a theoretical framework and reviewed related literatures. The research is qualitative and employed descriptive analysis of data from the field. The methods of data collection used were interviews, observations and focus group discussions. The results revealed that these Pentecostal churches engaged in activities such as building entrepreneur skills, running of clinics and schools, and the beneficiaries are both members and the non-members. The study makes recommendations that will effect structural change to improve the human development index on a large scale.